Zugzwang
by madgreek
Summary: O'Neill joins SG-1 on a planet where a contagion is under quarantine. The Morphlins are highly susceptible to the disease and perhaps more intelligent than they appear.


_Five weeks since I've been off world._ O'Neill stared discontent at the mirror and adjusted his uniform. _Five weeks since I've seen SG-1._ He sighed, checking his pack for all necessary items. Toothbrush, one change of clothes, and fishing line in case there happened to be a nearby lake on PX7-142. Around base they'd nicknamed it Wonderland. The odd, colorful flora, the general feeling of disorder, its fantastical humanoid species all left O'Neill uneasy. He shuddered. The Morphlins, he could go a lifetime without meeting them again. _Five weeks since I've seen…_

O'Neill stopped himself, resolutely heading out the door to the gate room. The blue wormhole greeted him like an old friend, pulsing as if alive. As he stepped onto the ramp he was reminded of one of the first times he'd ever chucked himself through that gate. Well, actually he had chucked Carter through first. Now, she was a Colonel, all grown up, independent, running her own show.

"All systems a go, sir. They're waiting for you on the other side."

"Just dandy." O'Neill didn't bother a salute as he forced himself through the watery hole. Travelling faster than light never got easy. O'Neill felt like his insides were being stretched to the max, his muscles were like jelly when he reached the wormhole's end. _I'm getting old._ It took a minute for his eyes to adjust and the pounding in his head to stop.

"Are you alright, sir?" A steady hand rested under his arm.

"Fine, fine." O'Neill smiled warily. "They don't make these uniforms like they used to."

Carter smiled back. "It still looks good...General."

"Please, don't remind me. It's not all that it's cracked up to be. I don't have time to watch the Simpsons."

Carter chuckled, leading the way along an overgrown path that snaked under a thick sea-green canopy. Star-shaped ruby flowers climbed every tree trunk, giving the forest a fiery aura. Giant leopard-colored mushrooms bent over the path as if to bite travelers in half. And it was hot, like the Mississippi bayou in the middle of August. O'Neill noted how tan Carter had become, and how good she looked in her black tank.

"I was expecting a bigger welcome party," O'Neill said. Then added quickly, "Not that I mind that…" He waved, dismissing his thought. He never knew what to say.

"Sorry, sir. Daniel wanted to come but Annuk, one of the adolescent Morphs, took him to an ancestral cave early this morning. Annuk insisted it had to be today. Something about not offending the dead. Daniel said you could join him later if you want."

"No, no. It's quite alright. And Teal'c?"

"He's been patrolling the perimeter of our base, looking for any more evidence. We've had some trouble lately with a few of the Irrudak Morphs. They're the ones that I mentioned in my last report."

"Uh, yeah, that." O'Neill goaded himself for not reading the whole thing thoroughly. "But you saved their lives. Or am I wrong to think that their little flu wasn't a deadly pandemic? Not to mention gave them technological understanding way beyond their time. Which, I might add, isn't exactly regulation."

"It was the only means Tom could treat them in a timely fashion. One more week and two-thirds of the population would've been eradicated. Their biological makeup is so complex, their ability to re-create what they see, it's incredible."

"Tom?"

"Dr. Kresfield. He's really a brilliant man. We owed it to them, sir."

"Yes, I read that part." O'Neill swallowed the fact that Carter was now addressing her co-worker by his first name. "But do you really think some renegade group from Earth unleashed this disease? How is that even possible?"

"Not on purpose. But I think they found a way to use the Morphlins' DNA to regrow missing limbs. We've been testing what little samples we have on mice tails. Anyway, supposedly one of the Morphs mysteriously disappeared just before we arrived. And the Irrudak are like the soldier caste. Forgiveness isn't exactly in their vocabulary. They will protect this planet at all costs. Daniel's hoping he will learn something about their dead that might give him an advantage in a peace treaty."

"Seems I've been missing a lot," "O'Neill said.

Carter stopped at the bottom of a steep hill, her blue eyes burrowing through his. "I'm glad you're here, sir. Really."

O'Neill placed a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. "Me too." He felt her relax so he let his hand linger just for a moment. "Is there a MacDonald's around here?"

"We're working on it, sir." Carter led them up the hill where they paused at the top to catch their breath. The SG base was a typical plastic four-walled structure with several conjoining huts which they called Alice. It sat awkwardly at the center of a valley surrounded by jungle and hills. But to O'Neill's satisfaction there was a large river that ran adjacent to Alice.

O'Neill raised a brow mischievously. "You're probably working on getting cable too?"

"C'mon, I'll introduce you to Dr. Kresfield and the team."

"Great." O'Neill reluctantly followed Carter down into the valley.

The commons was bustling with lab equipment, Air force personal, and a few very tall silver-skinned aliens that could be taken as the beginnings of a nudist colony. Their long arms gave them tremendous climbing abilities and their navy blue hair reminded O'Neill of standard Air force getup. He wondered if that was because the Morphs had been around his men these past weeks. It wasn't hard to spot Dr. Tom in his white coat and perfectly trimmed beard. O'Neill grunted, inadvertently checking for his firearm.

"General O'Neill this is Dr. Kresfield, the one who's been working around the clock to secure the Morphlins' vaccine. I told him to talk to you about a job at SGC if he wants it when we're done here," Carter said.

Dr. Kresfield reached out a hand. "It's an honor to meet you, General. Sam's told me so much about you."

_Sam?_ O'Neill shook his hand a little too firmly. "Pleasure. I'm guessing your work is almost finished? Looks like you guys got a handle on this outbreak."

"CDC requires me to report three weeks after the last known incident. We don't do this very often. Gate travel. I'm fascinated by the whole experience."

"Yeah. It's fascinating." O'Neill rolled his eyes. "So any clues as to who was here before us?"

"We're still analyzing a piece of torn fabric we found. It looks like cotton but actually it's something much more complex," Carter said. "And there's another odd thing. A boot print."

O'Neill didn't see how that was odd. "A boot print."

"It's Air force, sir. At least it appears to be. Only I've never seen any boot like that."

"Show me."

Carter led O'Neill over to a table where a cast had been made of the print. "See that? It's part of a ring of stars."

"Five-star general," O'Neill said.

"But there's something else. This here," Carter pointed to a rectangular indention in the heel. "I'm not sure what this is. My guess is it's some kind of tracking device or path marker. I analyzed the soil around this indention and it shows elements of EM radiation."

"Meaning?"

"I don't know exactly. Whoever was here before us was using a GPS system I've never encountered."

O'Neill scratched his head. "Do you think they're gone?"

"We've been flying drones all around the area. My guess is they got what they needed and left just before we arrived."

"This doesn't make sense, Carter. I would've known of any unauthorized gate activity. And besides, there's only a handful of men with that kind of ranking. None of them have gone near SGC. I'd be the first to know."

"I'm as perplexed as you, sir."

"Probably not." O'Neill shrugged. "You've done good, Colonel. For now, keep patrolling, widen the perimeter. I'll see if I can get a few more drones. Maybe we should get the civilians out before it gets too dangerous. If the Irrudak are how you say, I don't want to take any risks."

Carter nodded. "You're probably right."

"Can you take me to where you found the boot print? As soon as I get meal."

O'Neill entered the small mess hall crowded with eager lieutenants and several of the strange aliens, one of them changing its facial features to look like the nearby officers. O'Neill grabbed a ham sandwich and headed outside. He needed to think. What better place than where he spent ninety percent of his down time? By the water. Not only was it hot but now it was midday and humid. A flock of tiny white birds scattered into the tree line as O'Neill approached. He took off his boots and sunk his feet into the cool water. "Now we're talking."

"Am I disturbing you, sir?" Carter asked. She had already packed for the trek.

"No, of course not. Please." O'Neill motioned for her to sit. "This I could get used to." He pointed at the river like a boy who'd come to the ocean for the first time.

Carter smiled. "You always amaze me, sir, how you can be so calm in the midst of galactic calamity."

"Don't let it fool you, Carter. I'm all torn up on the inside." O'Neill stole a glance of her blonde hair lightened by the sun, her rosy cheeks. "Uh, your team really respects you. You've done well for yourself. Especially the doctor, he seems to appreciate your…brains."

Carter laughed. "He's a good man. I'm just glad we were able to create a vaccine."

O'Neill attempted subtleness but knew he'd fail miserably when it came to Carter. "I was never very good at understanding all your…technological...jargon."

"Sir, that's not what makes us such a good team." Carter shifted a little closer, her arm brushed his. He wasn't sure if it was intentional. "We've accomplished so many great things over the years. And you've always been there for me, like now. It's not the same when you're not in the field. It's harder somehow."

"It is. Harder." O'Neill looked at her then and held her gaze. "I feel helpless most of the time. Sending SG-1 out and not being able to protect…" He stopped and lowered his gaze. _Damn Air Force regs_. He never knew when too far was too far. He was grateful that she never pushed but how long would she wait?––if she was still waiting.

"We should go, sir, so we don't run out of daylight. Teal'c will meet us there. Lt. Perevski will begin evacuation. But Dr. Kresfield…"

O'Neill stood. "Wants to hang around."

"Actually he's requested to go with us." Carter blushed. "He wants to make sure there are no more signs of contagion out there."

"Carter, I'm not in the mood to babysit."

"I know, sir. It's just that it might be wise to take him with us. Aside from Daniel, he's the only one who remotely speaks the Morphlin language."

O'Neill frowned. "It's your call."

The three of them covered five miles in a short amount of time, O'Neill pushing the pace enough to make the doctor really sweat. He was grateful he'd brought a t-shirt and the fishing wire to keep his mind focused elsewhere. He fidgeted with different knots, but it only slightly worked. Every now and again he caught the smell of Carter's deodorant and it was enough to frustrate the hell out of him.

The trees eventually grew thinner, to O'Neill's relief, as strange monkey-like creatures swung from the branches, their long snouts sniffing and huffing. He swore, too, there were Morphs watching from above but they were harder to spot as their skin could perfectly mimic tree bark. For the most part they seemed harmless, curious. He hoped they didn't have a run-in with the Irrudak.

They came to a clearing, the forest opening up to a vast field of waste-high yellow grass. Carter scanned the landscape for life signs. "Almost there. On the other side of this plain." Just then they heard footfalls behind them. O'Neill turned abruptly, gun pointed at the sound.

"Wait! Jack it's me!" Daniel stumbled out of the trees, sweat dripping from his forehead, and just behind him, Teal'c, subdued as a statue. "Geez, you're always so jumpy."

"And you're always so loud." O'Neill dropped his weapon and approached his two comrades. "But it's good to see you both." He smirked, quickly hugging them.

"You as well," Teal'c said.

"The whole gang. Back together," O'Neill said. "Huh."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Daniel said, smiling. "So this place. It's amazing, isn't it?"

O'Neill pulled a water bottle from his pack. "Uh yeah, so, what did you find at the cave? Anything?"

"Right. Well, the Morphlins have a three caste system. The Irrudak, the Onalk, and the Elders who no one ever sees. They're like gods, and you become an Elder by giving your life for another who is dying. Don't ask me how it works, except that at some point in their development they have the ability to resurrect themselves. The Elders are the ones who make the rules, who chastise the colonies as a whole, and so on. The Irrudak as you probably know are the warrior caste. And the Onalk are more like farmers. They're the ones we've had the most luck with. But you don't become a part of this caste system until you reach adulthood." Daniel turned and motioned at the forest. "Like Annuk, he's barely eighteen and not considered an adult yet."

A very tall, slender alien stepped slowly into view. His skin shimmered yellow like the grass and his face was long and pointed, framed by short silver hair. His eyes swam from gray to green to blue as he studied each face. He wore only a thin belt of leather with a hilted dagger.

"Hi." O'Neill gave a half-hearted wave. "Daniel, what's _he_ doing here?"

"Annuk knows the land, Jack. Not to mention, if we run into any Irrudak, it could be handy to have one of their own to communicate with."

"So, nothing useful at the cave?" O'Neill said, growing annoyed.

"There was one thing: a memorial for the Morph recently taken. Whoever got here before us understood Morphlin traditions. They persuaded the Onalk to go with them as means of sacrifice. The Onalk believed he would ascend to eldership."

"Ah." O'Neill scratched his chin. "So nothing useful."

"Before this mission, and our work," Dr. Kresfield said, "little was known about the Morphs aside from vague accounts made by the Ancients."

"The whole thing is giving me a headache. T, you find anything during surveillance?"

"Nothing."

"Alright. Let's move," O'Neill said, skulking across the grassy plain. He didn't want to get caught out in the open at night. By his account, they had about five hours of daylight left.

Carter pointed to the moist soil where the path dropped dramatically to a rocky ravine. Water beat tumultuously against the rocks. "Here's where we took the sample print."

"Where do they lead?" O'Neill asked.

"The trail goes cold at the bottom of this ravine. There's a system of caverns down there and from what I can tell they go on for miles in all directions," Carter said.

"So we split up. Cover more ground. It's our best bet at finding out who took our alien friend. Carter, Doctor, you're with me. Teal'c, Daniel…Annie…you know the drill."

Annuk titled his head in contemplation. "He does it all the time. Nothing personal," Daniel said, in Morph dialect. "I guess we'll go right."

"Be careful," O'Neill said, leading them down the slippery bluff. "We'll regroup in two hours." As O'Neill precariously crossed the river one boulder at a time, Annuk suddenly shouted a series of strange sounds. The alien's skin inadvertently shimmered like the blue water.

"Jack!" Daniel strained to understand Annuk's meaning. "He says it's forbidden to go in there!"

O'Neill made a final leap to the other side, grunting in agitation. "Really. Why is that?"

"Something about the Elders. They don't allow it. He's scared to death," Daniel said.

"Then he can wait out here. I'm going in."

"I don't think that's wise," Daniel said.

"Here's what's gonna happen. Anyone who objects can wait outside. I'm going to figure out where those tracks lead." O'Neill stared resolutely at the entrance of the cave then headed into the darkness. He knew they would follow. He knew them too well. As planned they split into two groups and after about an hour of descending deeper into the musty earth, the narrow passage entered into a large cavern. Glowing rock formations lit the chamber in a purplish haze. O'Neill scanned the walls with his flashlight. Hundreds of indiscernible markings cut across the rock like brail but there was one hieroglyph that made perfect sense.

"You're sure it's Gao'uld?" Daniel said, through the walkie.

"Yep. Transport rings. Looks like Anubis paid a visit at one point. In any case, we're going to dig around, see what we can find. Keep communications open. O'Neill out."

"I believe these pictures state that Anubis, or his army, was defeated." Dr. Kresfield pointed to a series of pictures on the wall. "I'm not surprised. If the Morphs can look like anyone, they could easily impersonate Goa'uld. Destroy them from the inside. But these pictures here…" the doctor pointed again, "suggest they kept some of their technology."

O'Neill sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Over here, sir. Look at the ground." Carter shined her light on a circle in the mud. "This is recent."

"Where's the on switch?" O'Neill asked.

"I don't think that's necessary," the doctor said. "They're already here."

Four slender shapes emerged from a darkened corner of the cavern, their yellowish eyes predatorily fixed on O'Neill. He held up his hands diplomatically but fear coursed through him. He instinctively stepped in front of Carter.

"Hi, boys. We were just admiring your décor." O'Neill looked at the doctor. "Now would be a good time…"

Dr. Kresfield nervously formed a few short Morphlin sentences. The aliens stopped abruptly, clicking and chattering to themselves. Then the tallest of them approached O'Neill, towering over him like a hungry serpent. Its silvery skin suddenly transformed to a familiar green and brown camouflage pattern. The alien hissed through its jagged teeth.

"I don't think he likes me," O'Neill said.

"From what I can understand…he thinks you're to blame for the disappearance of one of their Elders," the doctor said.

"Well, tell him I've never been here before."

Dr. Kresfield gulped. "I did."

The Morph grabbed O'Neill with a giant hand, painfully squeezing his arm, and stripping him of his gun. It would be impossible to break that grip. Another Morph secured Carter, flinging her gun against the wall.

"I'm sorry, General. I don't understand," the doctor said.

A sudden beam of light descended into the cavern as one ring after another dropped down around them. This O'Neill understood. He reached for Carter's hand just as they were transported away. They materialized in a white marble chamber with high archways that overlooked fog-covered mountain peaks. A bridge hung from the entry of the room across a vast divide to another marble building.

"Must be a nearby summit," O'Neill said. His captor hissed, striking him painfully on the chin. Carter winced, steadying him. "Something I said?" The taller Morph struck O'Neill again in the knee, bringing him to a crouch, before chiding the other aliens to follow. A force field imprisoned O'Neill and Carter in the empty room, while the four Morphlins exited and crossed the bridge.

Carter kneeled beside O'Neill. "Are you alright, sir?"

"Fine, fine." O'Neill groaned, checking his knee. "I'm guessing they're Irrudak."

"Probably, sir. Though if they believe you're the one who kidnapped their Elder, I doubt if any of the castes are going to be civil. We need to find a way out."

"Agreed." Carter helped O'Neill to his feet and together they examined the view of the surrounding mountains. There were no windows, only the high-rising arches that opened up to the endless expanse of misty crags. Their prison existed at the top of a deadly peak and the only feasible exit was across the bridge.

"Could we somehow climb down?" Carter asked, staring into the cloudy depths.

"With what? It's a sheer drop off. Who knows how many miles." O'Neill slammed the wall angrily. "There's nothing in this room. Not even dust." Frustrated, he examined every archway with the same results. "Can you get us through that force field?"

Carter was already studying it. As she reached out to touch the translucent shield, an electric shock knocked her to the ground. O'Neill was quick to her side.

"Carter…"

"I'm fine, sir. Just a little burn."

O'Neill inspected her hand tenderly. "I guess we wait."

Carter's hand throbbed as she watched the last slivers of a red sun shoot across the mist. O'Neill gave up on investigating the walls and settled near her. By his account, they had been locked up for about three unproductive hours.

"Did I ever tell you about the time T. and I got stranded in the Delvian forest?"

"P3X-177?"

"How do you do that? Remember all those numbers?"

Carter smiled. "You got lost, sir?"

"We weren't lost, Carter." O'Neill waved a hand nonchalantly. "T. forgot to calibrate something or another. We walked around that damn forest for two days thinking we were getting somewhere. You were on leave that week, I think. Wedding stuff."

"Right. That." Carter looked down sheepishly. They had never fully talked about her reasons for ending things with Pete. "You never mentioned that you got lost."

"Not lost. Anyway, you get to know someone when you're stuck with them, hours on end, with no food, no plan, Goa'uld on your asses. The real them, I mean. And you know what I learned about that stubborn Jaffa?"

"What, sir?"

"That he would do anything to save his friends. That…and he really, really stinks when he doesn't shower."

Carter laughed. "I'm sure you didn't smell so great yourself."

"That's _not_ the point." O'Neill grinned, watching her from the corner of his eye. How many years had they done this dance? Too many. He'd lost count. Each day he woke up, first thing he thought about was her. Each day he told himself, _today is the day. I'll retire. I'll finally say all the things that need to be said, and hope to hell she says yes._ Was he getting too old to change? Had she finally moved on? She'd be all the wiser.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

Carter met his gaze. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." O'Neill wrapped an arm around her and Carter sank into him, her head on his shoulder. Neither one moved or said anything for a long time for fear the moment would end. It didn't matter what was happening around them, Carter always felt safe with him. His quiet resolve had reassured her, many times, that circumstances would work out.

The sun dipped behind the horizon, cold darkness pervading their prison. Two lamps sparked to life on either side of the bridge. The smell of cooking meat drifted through the giant arches.

"Cold?" O'Neill asked.

"No, actually. Hungry. How long do you think they'll keep us here?"

"Don't know." O'Neill rummaged in one of his pockets. "I think I might have…here we go." He pulled out a snickers and handed it to her. "I'm sure by now Dr. Tom has found Teal'c and Daniel. They'll get us out in no time."

"Right." Carter nestled closer to O'Neill as she ate the candy bar. "The temperature is dropping fast up here."

"I've heard the best way to maintain body heat…"

Carter chuckled, elbowing him in the ribs. She could hear his heart beating, relished in the comfort it brought her. The smell of his sweat and aftershave was tantalizing.

O'Neill allowed his lips to lightly brush her hair. "I don't think I've ever asked you this before, Carter, but who's your favorite Simpson's character? Wait, let me guess. Lisa?"

"Actually, sir, it's Homer."

"Really. _Really_? How come?"

"He's not as dumb as he seems. He's a bit of an unsung hero."

"Kind of like me," O'Neill said with a smirk.

"Yes. You two have so much in common." Carter laughed. "But you know we should envy all of them. That show's been running what twenty-some years? They haven't aged one iota."

"But we have." A touch of sadness hung in the air. O'Neill wondered briefly what the future might hold for them. He rested his chin on her soft blonde hair. Suddenly their thoughts were interrupted; someone was walking across the bridge. They quickly stood, preparing for possible escape. The force field lowered and two Morphs entered with glowing staffs. Jaffa staffs. _Wonderful_, O'Neill thought.

"You are the one." The Morph with silvery long hair spoke clear English. He eyed O'Neill, made a few clicking sounds. "Our Elders want to speak with you. This is a great honor. Come."

O'Neill shot Carter a confused look but decided it was better to play along than to resist. "She comes too."

The long haired Morph studied Carter with its catlike eyes and nodded. "Very well." It turned its cold gaze back to O'Neill. "I have something for you." Slender leathery fingers held out a folded piece of paper.

O'Neill reluctantly took the parchment and unfolded it. Horrified, he realized it was in his own handwriting.

_You and Carter are gonna be fine, no thanks to you. At least for now. Don't ask me how, but some years down the road we figure out time travel is possible through the gate. Off-limits mostly. But I had to do it. You will have to. Unless you stop Carter from going to PC9-547. Her heart is badly damaged from a staff blast. Jack, the Morphs they can make her a new heart. But they're all gone in the future. Dead. Whatever disease they got, it's not eradicated. Hell, for all I know I'm the one that got them sick. But I had to come back. You know I did. For her. I can't live without her. You're an idiot if you wait too long to marry her. _

_Jack_

O'Neill felt the ceiling spin. Carter grabbed his arm. "Jack, what's wrong?"

_To be continued…_


End file.
